MENTAL. eleMENTAL. monuMENTAL.
Opera Roanoke is delighted to announce its 46th season of live opera in the Roanoke Valley which includes a US premiere, contemporary work by internationally recognized artists, and a virtuosic choral work encompassing over 200 musicians – a season designed to highlight the vast dimensions of the art form.
In November 2021, Opera Roanoke will return to the Jefferson Center after a year-long pause in mainstage performances with a US premiere of the chamber orchestra version of Béla Bartók’s only opera, Bluebeard’s Castle. A psychological opera-thriller, Bluebeard’s Castle is the haunting tale of Bluebeard, his new bride Judith, and the secrets he so desperately wishes to keep hidden from her. This new chamber orchestra version by Eberhard Kloke made its European premiere in 2020 under the direction of famed conductor Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra and will make its US premiere right here in Roanoke. “The opportunity to bring Bluebeard’s Castle to our community is a dream come true for me,” says Opera Roanoke Artistic Director Steven White, “Bartók’s great masterpiece is unparalleled in its penetrating dramatic intensity, with a musical score that simply overflows with beauty, power and cinematic color.” With a running time of just over one hour and sung in English, this opera is ideal for opera newcomers and regulars alike.
In April 2022, Opera Roanoke continues its mainstage offerings with a recital featuring internationally acclaimed opera superstar, tenor Lawrence Brownlee. The highlight of the recital will be a song cycle entitled Cycles of My Being, written in collaboration with piano-percussionist composer Tyshawn Sorey and poet, Terrance Hayes, both MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant recipients. The central theme of the cycle is the black man’s experience living in America today, speaking to the challenges, questions, and thoughts inherent to men of color. After its premiere in 2018 at Opera Philadelphia, Cycles of My Being has been performed by Brownlee at Carnegie Hall, the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Kennedy Center, among others. Collaboration with other Roanoke area organizations before and after the performance will be an important part of Opera Roanoke’s efforts to bring attention to this elemental work.
In May 2022, Opera Roanoke will conclude its 46th season with a finale that feels more like a homecoming. Originally scheduled for its 45th season, Giuseppe Verdi’s monumental Messa da Requiem will showcase the power and profound expression of the composer’s work through a double chorus, substantially large orchestra, and four nationally recognized soloists. “We expect our singers and musicians will completely fill the stage and maybe even some of the balcony at the Jefferson Center with this performance,” says Chorus Master, Josh O’Dell. The Requiem is an invitation to the community to come together and reflect on all that we have been through in the last eighteen months.
Information about 2021-22 season performances, tickets, and free community events can be found at operaroanoke.org.
